Steve Kiesel

Steve, what are you using to grab the screen snapshots? Thanks.

My buddy and I were prospecting in Eastern Oregon several years ago near Sumpter. We were wandering around an old gold camp where all the buildings had caved in. He noticed a large piece of linoleum in the corner of this one building. For some reason he lifted it up, and underneath was a 1884 Morgan silver Dollar. It had been there for so long it left an impression on the under side of the linoleum. There was an old bed spring near by, so we figured someone long ago put it under their bed for safe keeping.

From first hand experience, I'll have to agree with Shelton. I won't mention brands, as it may just be my bad luck. The Chinese engine that came with my small highbanker lasted one summer. Took it to a small engine repair shop, they said it wasn't worth repairing, would cost more than you could buy another one. So I replaced it with a small Honda motor and trash pump. Have used it for three seasons now. Problem solved. Same thing with a small generator I got for the camper. Stopped running after about 20 - 30 hours of use. Cost more to repair than I paid for it. Replaced it with a Yamaha generator. Haven't used it much yet, so we shall see over time. I guess we are in a disposable society these days. I personally have a problem with this concept, and perfer to purchase products that provide better and longer service. By the way, my ATV is a Can-Am that I bought in 2004. It has had a couple minor problems, but repairable at a reasonable cost. Just my .02 cents worth.

Looking forward to meeting you Steve. I'm heading down in a couple weeks to scratch around in the bedrock. Will also be using my recently acquired used ATX. So the timing of your seminar is perfect. I'm used to swinging the Gold Bug's, but not a PI, so I'm sure there will be a lot of info I can use. See on the 16th. Steve K.

Thanks for your impressions on the 8" Mono Steve. I'm headed down to N. Ca. in a couple weeks. Other than backyard tests, this will be my first outing with the ATX. I'll give the stock coil a go, but I'm sure I will be wishing I had a smaller coil for the bedrock and brush. Have a great summer. Steve K

Beautiful area. I was down there in January. Spent one day at LSD detecting with the Gold Bug Pro. No gold, but plenty of lead. Hope to get back down there next winter and devote more time to prospecting. One day is not enough time to get the lay of the land. I just picked up a used ATX. It's the deepseeker package. Don't have the big coil yet. But thinking about selling the big coil and get the 8". I would be interested in your impressions of the 8" for prospecting Steve. Good luck swinging.

Sweet. Your covered then.

It's amazing how fast the quake moves. My last quake was up in Seattle about ten years ago. I was on the phone with a friend that was about forty miles away. He was saying, "Oh crap, an earthquake". The quake hit me before he could finish the sentence. I remember the Anchorage quake, and those pictures of the cars in the sink holes down town. Scary stuff for sure.

Speaking of spare parts. It would be a good idea to get a couple spare battery holders. I don't have an ATX yet, but noticed the battery holders are same as my AT Pro. I was changing the batteries on my Pro before heading out. Of course I dropped the batteries and holder on the hardwood floor. The holder broke into three different pieces. That put an end to using the Pro for a week and a half waiting for the new holder to get here. I do have a backup detector, so I could still hunt. Wasn't near as much fun without the Pro though. You have been warned.

Dain, that looks pretty slick, nice job. If and when I get an ATX, I will need to do that modification as well. When you can, could post more details on the process. Thanks.

International California Mining Journal

Really happy to see you created your own forum Steve. I've been following your writings for many years. The first being your writeup on Crow Creek and the Gold Bug 2. Just read your post regarding the VLF's. I'm finding that the Gold Bug Pro is fast becoming my favorite. If I could change anything on the Gold Bug Pro, it would be to have the small 6" eliptical coil. That coil on the Gold Bug 2 is deadly, and fun to use. Still have the Gold Bug 2, just can't bring myself to part with it. It's like an old friend. Also looking forward to your comments on the ATX and 8" mono coil. Best of luck to you in your new ventures. Steve K